By Adriana Ermter
“Have a Patio Day!” chuckles Stuart Brown, the owner of General Products Outdoor Furniture in Richmond Hill, Ont. “When you hear that, what does it make you feel? I’ll tell you what it makes me feel. It gives me a good feeling — it’s just a happy place to be.”
It’s an incredibly happy place to be when you’re sitting on a comfortable deep-seated chair, couch, sectional or dining set in your own backyard. As the current must-have outdoors item, longer, wider and cushier deep seats are dominating patio furniture. Coveted as equally for their multi-functionality as they are their cozy comfort, the category is exploding with style and design options, from the South Beach Collection’s bold reds and the Seville Collection’s mossy greens to the Berkeley Collection’s zebra-striped blacks and beiges. All combined, deep seating is a far cry from the basket-woven lawn chair said to have launched the patio industry in 1947.
“Think of how you live and entertain now,” says Brown. “More space is key and regardless of where you are, you want to feel good, happy, relaxed. So, in outdoor furniture, deep seating is it, and as a style it has really evolved.”
“MORE SPACE IS KEY AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE, YOU WANT TO FEEL GOOD, HAPPY, RELAXED. SO, IN OUTDOOR FURNITURE, DEEP SEATING IS IT, AND AS A STYLE IT HAS REALLY EVOLVED.”
With 43 years of experience as a retailer and patio furniture designer, Brown understands the importance of the outdoors being an extension of the home. His pieces are crafted with durability and versatility. Their colours, structural materials and fabric textures complement any space big or small — all to maximize their usage and to provide sustainable seating that mimics indoor living. “We create pieces you can cuddle into and lose concept of where you are,” says Brown. “With the quality we offer, combined with the fact that so many people now have outdoor heaters or fire-pit tables, patio season can extend long past summertime.” Factor in timeless designs and deep seating is simultaneously favoured for its style longevity. Frames feature contemporary and clean aluminum, traditional wood grains, powder-coated aluminum and wicker-looking plastics that can be customized to suit rolling gardens, multi-tiered decks, cottage porches, narrow condominium balconies and beyond. The seating cushion’s upholstery fabrics, like Glen Raven’s 300-and-counting Sunbrella options, guarantee minimal sun fading and maximum water resistance.
“You can never build something too strong,” adds Brown. “It’s important because couples, families, heck, almost everyone, now uses their outdoor area as another room to escape to all year long. How phenomenal is that?”